Amazing read. This young man is definitely courageous and inspiring in how he has decided to bring attention to a "real" problem in our society. Everything he said I've either experienced, witnessed or felt at some point in my life.
Having been born in the last month of the last year of the 60s...one would think that racism wouldn't have been an issue for me. That however hasn't been the case.
No matter how far we come in our attempt to stamp out such archaic ways of thinking...as long as it is taught in the dark to innocent little minds that eventually develop these views themselves...it will never go away.
My oldest son is a prime example. When he started kindergarten he was the only black child in his classroom...(a Catholic school in our community). I would often quiz him about how his day had gone (secretly trying to determine if he perhaps had not been treated equally because of the color of his skin).
One question that would always come up when he talked about other students was....what color was he/she? He would look at me pensively and say..."Umm, he was kind of shiny".
This was an indication to me that my son didn't see any difference. He didn't realize skin color mattered. We hadn't taught him to hate or separate based on race.
Sadly, it didn't take him long to realize there was a difference.
If you read nothing else over the weekend, please read this article by Tim Wise.
1 comment:
Amazing read. This young man is definitely courageous and inspiring in how he has decided to bring attention to a "real" problem in our society. Everything he said I've either experienced, witnessed or felt at some point in my life.
Having been born in the last month of the last year of the 60s...one would think that racism wouldn't have been an issue for me. That however hasn't been the case.
No matter how far we come in our attempt to stamp out such archaic ways of thinking...as long as it is taught in the dark to innocent little minds that eventually develop these views themselves...it will never go away.
My oldest son is a prime example. When he started kindergarten he was the only black child in his classroom...(a Catholic school in our community). I would often quiz him about how his day had gone (secretly trying to determine if he perhaps had not been treated equally because of the color of his skin).
One question that would always come up when he talked about other students was....what color was he/she? He would look at me pensively and say..."Umm, he was kind of shiny".
This was an indication to me that my son didn't see any difference. He didn't realize skin color mattered. We hadn't taught him to hate or separate based on race.
Sadly, it didn't take him long to realize there was a difference.
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